


wannabe ghost buster

by noturssis



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio Friendship, Kinda, M/M, Oikage Day, Oikage Week, POV Kageyama Tobio, POV Oikawa Tooru, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Protective Kageyama Tobio, Protective Oikawa Tooru, Supernatural Elements, karasuno first years, oikawa is a ghost, so ofc hinata follows right after, they have cat basically, tobio is a wannabe ghostbuster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:41:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noturssis/pseuds/noturssis
Summary: Tobio is used to moving around frequently, but he isn’t used to bumping into annoying ghosts.It’s just his luck that annoyingly pretty ghost needs some saving.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell that i’m bad at titles?

Tobio frowned as he got out of the gray minivan they arrived in and stretched. It had been a long ride, and he was stiff and exhausted. He felt his mom's warm comforting hand on his shoulder.

He raised his eyebrow at the apartment building in front of them. It was nice, but then again what did he expect? No matter how many times they moved, the house was always pretty nice.  
“Why are you growing up so fast?” his mom asked, smiling at him. He shrugged, opening the trunk.  
Tobio grabbed two boxes and followed his mom inside.  
Tobio was not particularly excited to be moving into another state but hey, what can you do?  
He was only in high school.

"Hey, mom? Should I unpack this box?" He asked before looking down. He sighed before yelling never mind. The box read 'My Underwear', and it definitely didn't belong to him.

He dropped the box in her room, then went back out to find where his undergarments were. He picked up the box and headed to his already furnished room.  
The walls were a plain crème and the carpet was a light gray. His bed was normal-sized, he assumed. Probably a twin. The room was pretty bare except for some old volleyball medals his mom hung up before she could stop him. Tobio could admit he was a bit of a softie deep down, so he didn't have the heart to take it down.

He sat on the bed as it dipped under his weight, ripping open the box and taking everything out. He wandered into the bathroom and placed all of his hygiene materials on the sink counter, and in the shower.  
"Hey honey, do you need any help?"  
Tobio pursed his lips, looking around his room in thought.  
"No, I've got it. " He replied. His mom shouted okay, and he went back outside.  
He cringed as he came upon more...womanly things, quickly dropping them into his mom's room again. He went to the kitchen and watched as his mom put away pots and pans.  
"Tobio, why don't you go explore?" She asked looking up at him. He leaned his head on his hands.

"I dunno mom..." He trailed off looking out the window.

"Hey, we'll be here long enough. Go make some friends. But be back by 6:00." she said, giving him a comforting smile.  
"All right…I don't imagine I'll be staying out long." He replies. He hugs her before grabbing his coat, phone and making his way out of the house.

…….

He rubbed his warm hands together before stuffing them into his pockets. It was only late October but Mother Nature obviously didn't get the memo. It was pretty chilly for the afternoon.  
He walked past multiple shops and houses but everything looked strange and unfamiliar. The town seemed lively and glum at the same time and that made Tobio feel slightly unsettled. Everyone he walked by either looked thoroughly disheveled, or thoroughly excited.  
He blinks at the coffee shop only a couple of steps in front of him. He had a few bills on him and it looked cozy and void, so he decided to just buy a coffee.

"Hello. Welcome to Mackin Café. What can I do for you today?" the cashier asked. Tobio tried to smile at the girl but she visibly recoiled. He stopped smiling.  
"Uh, yes. I'd like a black coffee" he said watching the cashier punch in…whatever cashier's punch in.  
"Alright. That'll be $3.99" she said handing him a receipt. He nodded his thanks while paying. He glanced at his number. It was 12.

"Number 12?" A voice shouted. He shuffled to the pick-up area before grabbing multiple sugars and creamers.

Tobio found a random table towards the back and sat down at the right angle so he could examine the cafe. It was nice but simple. Regular cream-colored walls, smooth tile floor, and it had those random family quotes hanging up. It seemed to be a play café but it was deserted. Tobio observed some more and realized he was the only young person there. There were multiple old people at tables, talking together, and playing games.

Had he accidentally walked into a senior home?

He heard someone clear their throat, and looked up curiously. He saw a boy, about his age with a round face, bright orange hair, and a big smile just as blinding.  
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He asked kindly.  
Tobio shrugged, gesturing with his hand that he was welcome. He didn't feel any negative energy wafting off the boy, if anything he looked incredibly sweet.

"Thank God. I thought my friends and I were the only teenagers who came here," he said, grinning. Tobio gave him a slight grin back and hoped he didn't look as awkward as he felt. He felt a little more relieved when the boy's grin widened.  
"Yeah, well I just moved here so I don't have a preference," he replied slowly. The boy nodded before stretching out his hand.  
"Fair enough. Hey, I'm Hinata Shouyou." the boy said. Tobio shook his hand.  
"I'm Kageyama Tobio," he said back. Hinata's eyes rolled over him.  
"It’s nice to meet you Kageyama!" He exclaimed, a little loud for their current setting but Tobio could not find it in himself to be annoyed.  
"You too."  
Hinata nodded, sipping his drink before promptly spitting it back out.  
“Oh! That's hot !”  
"Of course it's hot dumbass. What café gives out lukewarm coffee? '' Tobio heard himself ask. His eyes widened in shock because honestly, who calls someone they just met a dumbass, oh God he just-  
"Oh shut up, I was thirsty!" Hinata exclaimed, rolling his eyes. Oh, Tobio thought. Tobio handed him a napkin with a small sigh before looking up and hoping they hadn't disturbed anyone. It seemed they hadn't because the seniors were still glued to their activities.

"Don't worry. Some of the seniors are deaf. They don't mind much. " Hinata said solemnly. He didn't look like he was kidding.

Like at all.

Now Tobio felt bad for almost laughing.  
"Noted." He simply replied. It was quiet for a while before Hinata started to talk about things he wasn’t sure he completely understood. But then, he brought up an anime that Tobio had been following and Tobio couldn't help but excitedly respond. Tobio glanced at his phone during a lull in their conversation.  
Jeez. It was 6:30 already? He was late. He sat up coffee in hand.  
"I'm sorry, but I've got to go now," he said sliding out of the booth. Hinata nodded.

"It's alright. But if you happen to be coming to Miyagi High School, My friends and I can show ya around," he said smiling. Tobio nodded because he was going to be starting there next week. He was surprised at himself for making friends already.

He was soon on his way out, waving to Hinata one last time. It was pretty dark outside but the streets were busier, and streetlights were slowly coming on.  
People coming home from work he assumed.  
He made his way around groups of kids who were elementary schoolers and wondered why they were going wandering the streets alone. He smiled to himself as he continued down the road to their new residence. The café wasn't all that far away from his house, but he thinks the one near the end of the road might be his house.

He stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door. Nobody answers and he steps back to wonder why when he notices a vacant sign that's dropped underneath his feet.  
Ah, wrong house. It sure looked similar to his new one. Tobio peeked through the window curiously and wondered why no one had bought it yet.  
Suddenly, a flash of honey brown swished across the room. Before he could blink, the honey-looking color was gone. Tobio felt his breathing hitch as he stared at his wide-eyed reflection. He stepped closer and peeked in hoping to see that flash of honey again. It looked so warm. Something was telling him to open the door but he stepped back, suddenly realizing how late he was. Surely his mom would be worried. He dashed off the balcony and barely figured out which way was home.

…..

"Tobio, where in the world have you been?" His mother asked the second he walked in. He winced before turning around.  
"I'm sorry. I was talking to someone and then I got a little lost on the way home," he told her. His mom sighed before smiling.  
"So, you made a friend? Was it a girl?" She asked, smirking. Tobio sighed feeling his cheeks warm up as he pulled off his jacket.  
"Oh, so a boy?" "His name is Hinata. He goes to my school too, and offered to show me around," he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. His mother nodded, patting his cheek.  
"I'm glad you’ve made a friend. Hey, let's order in. I would've asked you to pick it up but you barely survived getting home." His mom teased. Tobio shook his head smiling as he pulled up the nearest restaurants that still delivered on his phone.

………

Tobio hobbled to his bed before collapsing on it. He had three too many plates, but only because he was starving. He sighed as he pulled the covers up to his chest and turned to face the window that was beside his bed. His mom was the most hardworking woman he had ever met. But he was tired of constantly moving, and never being able to have any stable friendships. Most times, he left so quickly, he hadn’t the opportunity to make friends at all.  
Soon enough, he just stopped trying. Although he didn't mind much, he didn't talk much, to begin with. Plus, all the schools he had enrolled in were often filled with airheads...

Including himself. He hoped this school wouldn't be that way.  
Tobio rubbed one of the medals on his table with a small smile on his face. He loved volleyball. When he was in middle school, he had been on the team. That had been the one school he stayed at for a whole two years. Tobio knew it was silly to say such things, but he hoped they stayed here. The town wasn't anything overly special, but it looked comfortable. With that thought, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

……...

Oikawa didn't know why he did it. When people come across the house, he usually hides or warded them away with fear. Sometimes he makes the house shake, just to see them run away screaming. It was always a good laugh to see grown adults almost shit themselves. He knows that most of them only come because of all the myths surrounding the house.  
Some thought that it was haunted. Others thought a gang owned it, and few thought someone lived there but liked to be isolated. 

These, of course, were all wrong.

He was so used to smelling and feeling the fear of those that dared to get close to the house that he had paused when the boy stepped onto the balcony. It was clear that he was simply curious. The thing that most intrigued him was the boy's eyes. They were dark blue, constantly shifting from the streetlights. They resembled the ocean on a stormy night. It was as if his emotions were showing through his eyes in soft ripples. Like a broken theater screen. His dark raven hair was grown to the point that it curled around the edges of his ears, and his bangs almost touched his eyes. His nose was straight and strong, shapely pink lips pulled up in a curious pout.

Before Oikawa was stuck in this house, he had never seen anyone of that...he didn't know if a boy could be that beautiful. Oikawa only lets himself be visible when he's alone so he can stare at himself in the mirror, but he hadn't expected the boy to come up to the house so confidently so he had no choice to run.

Oikawa still slightly felt his presence. He could do that also apparently, that was new. He willed his presence away and crept to the window, surprised that the boy was still there, peeking in. His hand went up as he wiped the window and he was mesmerized. His lips were open in awe, as his sharp eyes continued to peek in. Oikawa was thankful the boy could not see him because it would have been awfully weird if they were just staring at each other. 

He had a sudden urge to make the house shake so the boy could run away...he didn't though because the boy stepped back on his own eyes wide in what he assumed was shock. Oikawa glanced around the room to see what the boy must've seen when he looked at one of his many mirrors. Oh goodness, his hair was still there! 

Before the boy could scream or possibly try to come into the house, he willed himself away. It must have been jarring to see something like that. Oikawa didn't blame him when he ran away, he just felt a tad bit embarrassed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tobio does some exploring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> normalize everyone in the word having a small crush on kageyama tobio

Tobio spent most of his week inside the house and at the mall. He got strange looks from the people there, but it was probably because he was new there. Most people introduced themselves to him and his mom with house warming gifts, but the kids continued to give him curious or downright scary stares. Were they scared to have a new student or something? 

He didn't bump into Hinata at the mall but he didn't mind much. He was mostly interested in the vacant house a block away. He planned to go there again. Tobio just wanted to explore it, it seemed cool honestly. It didn’t have the scary aura he assumed it would, if anything there seemed to be a warm orange color covering the house, although it got darker if you stared long enough. 

Today, they were at the mall to buy those electric air fryers that his mom loved so much. His mom told him he was allowed to walk around and he was glad because he was extremely hungry. Per usual.

He looked for the closest food cart in the mall and had to climb a bunch of steps to find it. Now he was really starving.  
He got him and his mom a pretzel but decided to get two for himself or he would probably end up eating the one meant for his mom. As he was walking back to the kitchen appliance store his mom was in, a group of girls were giggling and pointing at him.

His eyebrow raised.

Have they never seen a boy have 3 pretzels?

Hmm. Probably not. 

Tobio had an abnormal love for food.  
"Don't mind them. They have a bad habit of staking out the mall for a new toy every week." a voice said to his left. He turned quickly to be faced with a girl, his age, or near it. She had short blonde hair and a bright childish face.

He wanted to say hi or something not stupid but he could only stare at the small girl, who started to fidget.  
"Uhm, I'm Yachi," she said smiling and sticking out her hand. She glanced at his hand full of pretzels and slowly lowered it.  
"Hi. I'm Kageyama," he said, giving her a sheepish smile. Her smile widened.

"So you're the boy Hinata was talking about. He didn't mention you were this cute!" she blurted. Her dark eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. Tobio felt himself blush.  
"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean…a-anything by it!" She stuttered, eyes darting nervously.  
"It’s okay. Thank you." Tobio replied shyly. She peeks out at the hand covering her face with a sigh.  
"Ah, it's no problem. You need help getting somewhere?" she asked kindly. Tobio was sure he could get there himself, but he didn't want to turn Yachi down. She was really nice and looked hopeful so he nodded.

"Yes, I can't remember where the kitchen appliance store was at."

She smiled brightly, beckoning him to follow her. She talked and asked him questions as she led him, and Tobio felt his heart flutter at the fact that he already had two people he knew in only a week. It had to be some sort of record.  
They finally stopped in front of the cooking shop.  
"I'll assume this is your stop. See ya on Monday!" Yachi said with a small wave. Tobio waves back before walking inside the store to find his mother already at the cashier.

………

Is it sad that Tobio wasn't even nervous on Monday? He's moved around so many times, he was used to the feeling of being the new kid. He didn't get skittish when kids stared at him, just a little annoyed. Tobio didn't enjoy constant attention on him.  
Yes, okay maybe he gotta a little anxious when people stare way too long because it often resulted in him doing or saying something stupid.

He'd either trip, say something awfully offensive, or blurt out something nobody needed to know.  
He sighed as he pulled out a grey sweater from his drawer and put on his black jeans. He tied up his sneaker and was on his way to the kitchen.

"Good morning honey. Excited?" His mom asked with a bright smile on her face. He sighed but gave her the smile he knew she wanted.  
"Not really," he answered truthfully. She rolled her eyes before sliding a plate of the omelet in front of him. He said his thanks before digging in.

"Did you comb your hair?"  
"Didn't bother," he said his mouth full. His mom grabbed the comb already trying to fix his flyaways.  
"Maybe we should cut it," she said, trying to push his bangs out of his face. Tobio shrugged.

"No. It's okay," he said putting his plate in the sink and grabbing his book bag. He laid a kiss on his mom's cheek, grabbing his key from the bowl on the counter.  
"Bye, mom."  
She smiled.  
"Have a great day Tobio," she replied.

…….

The second Tobio walked into the school he knew it was going to be absolutely nothing like his other schools.  
The kids were engaging in conversation instead of staring at their phones. It was awful.

The worst part was that everyone was staring at him curiously when he walked in because they weren't all staring down at their devices.

He spotted Hinata, Yachi, and a couple of other people who seemed to be waiting for his arrival.  
Or he was just flattering himself.  
"Good morning Kageyama! We were waiting for you." Hinata said smiling brightly so early in the morning.  
Kageyama felt a small smile slip on his lips at being correct. They were waiting for him. Yachi smiled at him, reaching out to pat his arm.

"How're you?"  
"I'm okay. How are you?"  
" I'm alright as well," she said nodding. Hinata bounced in between them, amber eyes glimmering with excitement.  
"We have some people to introduce you to!"  
A tall boy with light brown hair and a face full of freckles on tan skin stepped up to stand next to Hinata and gave the bouncing boy a soft pat on the head.

"Give Kageyama some space Hinata. Hi, I'm Yamaguchi." He said softly, smiling at him.  
Tobio smiled back. He had the same sweet aura as Hinata, if not a little less chaotic.  
"Uh, Tsukishima? Introduce yourself." Hinata said glaring up at a tall blonde boy with glasses, tugging on his shirt. The boy looked down with annoyance and slipped off his headphones.  
"What?" he asked awfully flat.  
"Introduce yourself to Kageyama Tsukki," Yamaguchi said with a grin.  
"Didn't I ask that you not call me that?"

Yamaguchi just smirked with a thumbs up. The blonde boy, Tsukki stared at him with a bored look, but Tobio didn't sense any negative emotions. Just honest boredom.

"I'm Tsukishima." He stated before putting his headphones back on and leaning against the lockers. Hinata rolled his eyes before hooking his arm with Tobio.  
"So, did you get your schedule yet? I bet we have the same first period! Wait, you're a second-year right?" He rambled off.

"Yes, I'm a second year. And I have…chorus for the first period." He answers, glancing at Hinata. He frowns, his eyes rolling to a smug-looking Yamaguchi.

"Aw no fair! That means you have the first period with Yamaguchi. That's fine, I'm sure we'll have other classes together, and lunch." He sighs. Tobio nods sympathetically. It would have been nice to have a class with Hinata.   
They probably would have bickered the whole class, but Tobio finds he liked doing that with Hinata.

He startles when he feels a new arm hook with his.  
"Ah, looks like we're here Kageyama. Let's go." Yamaguchi says with a smile. Hinata groans before letting go and immediately latches onto an amused Yachi.  
"Have fun! Hopefully, we'll catch you at lunch." Yachi says with a wave.  
Kageyama waves back before letting Yamaguchi pull him into the classroom. It seems as if his first day is off to a great start.

………

He had met his new group of what he hopes are his friends for lunch. He was inwardly grinning because eating alone sounded like a nightmare. But they made it very bearable. Fun even. He was sure his mom would be glad to hear that.  
Luckily, he had his third class with Yachi and Tsukishima, much to Hinata's chagrin. 

They seemed to have zero classes together and the boy felt left out. Tobio tried to assure him that it was fine, but the boy swore to get his class switched. It made Tobio's chest feel warm.

But as Tobio had said, his third class was pretty quiet and calm. The teacher was extremely kind and didn't dump homework on him.

Unfortunately, his fourth period was nothing like his first. It was loud and the teacher could barely control the classroom. It was bearable though he thought, that was until all the attention was turned on him.

"Oh, are you like new?" A girl with deep brown eyes and wavy black hair asked. Tobio almost rolled his eyes.

"No. I'm not new. I'm just a kid who randomly popped in your class in the middle of the year.

That's what he wished he had said. Instead, he just stared at her bug-eyed and nodded.  
"You don't speak?" Another girl chimed in. Her brown eyes analyzed him in a way that made him want to run out of his seat and home.

"I speak," he said. ‘Get it together ‘ Tobio scolded himself with a small pout. He cleared his throat and let his eyes dart around the classroom. The first girl smacked her gum and Tobio swears he felt spit on his hand. He discreetly wiped it on his jeans.

He waited idly for that class to end, hoping no one else attempted to include him in any conversation. When the bell finally rang, he breathed out deeply before collecting his materials and dashing out of the room. He was to go straight to the counselor’s office to report on how he felt about his classes. For Hinata's sake, he'd request to have his fourth period be switched. It's not like he'd miss the class, that's for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was honestly such a boring chapter but i promise the next chapter is good...hopefully lol. have a wonderful day/night and go hydrate if you haven’t.


	3. Oh!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school is sooo kicking my ass lol

"Hey, Kageyama! Wait up!" Hinata called. He whipped around to see him gripping onto his book bag.

He carefully pried his small grubby fingers off with a huff.

"Hey, Hinata. What's up?" He asks as he walks out of the school.

It's his second week at the school, and things have been going pretty smoothly. With all the time-consuming things he needed to take care of, on top of school, he hadn't had a chance to check out that strange house he had come across. It was a Friday afternoon, and he didn't have much to do so he hoped that he could've gone there straight after school but by the looks of it…

"Wanna walk home together? I usually ride the bus and noticed we lived pretty close. Why don't you take the bus?" He asks curiously.  
Yeah, he definitely wouldn't be exploring the vacant house.  
"I like walking, and it isn’t that far." He responds with a shrug. Hinata looks thoughtful before he nods with a grin.

"Yeah! That makes sense. I think I'll start walking with you if you don't mind." He says looking up at him with a warm smile. Tobio instinctively smiled back.

"I wouldn't mind at all." He says. Hinata gasped before waving a hand around while fanning his face with the other.

"Gosh, Kageyama! Don't just go around doing that!" He screeches. Tobio raised an eyebrow.  
"Doing what stupid?"  
Hinata glared at him before punching his shoulder and dashing off before Kageyama could hit him back. Tobio takes that as a challenge and chases after him, shouting threats to his life.

….

Tobio is throwing his volleyball up to his ceiling before he starts to get a little restless. His mom is still at work and he probably should wait until she gets back but he's so curious. The presence he felt from that other house completely shook him to the bone. He had to go back, he just had to. He glances at the time. It's only 5 in the afternoon, so he has enough time before it starts to get dark.  
He sent a quick text to his mom, saying that he went out, before pulling his sneakers back on and dashing out the door with his phone and key.

He briskly glances around, hoping he hadn’t forgotten what the house looks like when he sees the familiar vacant sign hanging on the door. He glances around and sees the street is just as deserted as before. He quickly climbs onto the porch, before knocking loudly on the door.

He waits for a while when he sees and hears nothing. No honey brown, and no bone-chilling presence. He huffs out in slight frustration before knocking again. He pressed against the window, and gasps when he definitely sees that honey brown flash.  
"Hello?" He shouts, knocking again. He wonders if he's being rude, but it should be okay, right? The house is vacant so he and whoever was in there was also trespassing. They were partners in crime…basically.

He gets no response again but now, he feels himself shiver and not from the cold.  
Tobio rolls his eyes, realizing that he could just try and open the door himself.  
He reaches for the doorknob when his feet and arms suddenly feel heavy. 

"What the hell?" He mutters, trying to move his hand towards the doorknob but it's like watching a turtle walk. His arms move incredibly slow. He blinks hard, wondering if this is a dream but he shivers once again from the almost overwhelming presence that just had to be inside the house.  
He lets out a grunt, before forcing his hand onto the doorknob and turning it open. He seems to move even slower after that, but Kageyama determinedly makes his way into the house, jello legs and all. He heaves out a deep breath, resting his arms in his knees, feeling sweat drop down his face.

"What the fuck was that?!" a voice yelps. Tobio yelps as well, jumping to see an almost translucent figure in front of him.

"Oh, so I'm what scares you? Not your whole body slowing down?" the....man? Ghost? Demon? Asks with a sarcastic smile. Tobio attempts to catch his breath, but the person waves their hand, causing the door to shut close.

What the hell has he gotten himself into?  
"Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself? You did impose on my home." The person asks, stepping forward and Tobio feels his mouth go dry. Now that there isn't direct sunlight in the person's face, Tobio can see his face. Yes, this is a man. He was dressed formally, a white button-up shirt, and tight-fitting bootcut jeans. His skin was pale, and his eyes a burning brown that stared deep into Tobio's soul.

And his hair. That was the sweet honey brown sight that haunted Tobio's mind. The man was beautiful and seemed to know it in the way he carried himself.  
"Hey, can you talk?" The man asked with concern, moving a bit closer.

"Yes! I'm Kageyama Tobio!" He exclaimed before realizing maybe he shouldn't tell this strange man his full name. The man gives him a sweet smile that makes his heart thud.  
"Hello, Tobio-chan. I’m Oikawa Tooru." He responded making his way closer to Tobio. Tobio didn't think he could back up if he wanted to.  
"I wasn't expecting you to be back ya know. After you ran last time." He says with a small smirk. Tobio feels himself flush from embarrassment.  
"Only because my mom called me home." He offered. It was half of the truth.

"I'm sure she did. Anyways, now I've got to figure out how the hell you were able to get in here." Oikawa sighs, moving even closer.  
"Excuse me?" Tobio gasps as Oikawa reaches out and softly takes his face in his hands. Tobio can only stare up at the gorgeous man as he caresses his face, one big hand traveling to cup his neck, fingering his pulse. His hands are neither cold nor hot. They feel feather-light and it feels like Oikawa is trying to figure out if he’s real.

"Uhm, what are you doing?" He asks, eyes wide. Oikawa sheepishly pulls back, his hands going behind his back.  
"I am...sorry. It's just…are you a wizard? A sorcerer of some kind?" He asks with a perfectly raised eyebrow.  
"No. I'm not."  
Oikawa makes a surprised noise, then looks annoyed.

“You mean to tell me a simple human was able to surpass my powers!! " he exclaimed, staring up at the ceiling of the house.  
"Hey! You're human too!" Tobio exclaims defensively. He wasn't a simple human. It sounded insulting and Tobio refused to be insulted by a weirdo man who lived in a vacant house.  
Oikawa slowly looked at him, a small smile on his face.

"Tobio-chan, I am not human." He says softly. He lifts a finger and crooks it at him, and that simple action sends Tobio flying into the strange man's chest. Tobio hears himself make a strangled noise, as he struggles against the eccentric man.   
"Ah! So they only work on you inside the house? Where my power works the strongest? Oh, there's no way you’re human." He thinks out loud, absently wrapping an arm around Tobio's waist to hold him there.

Tobio sputters and pushes him away, his face flushing. This man...or ghost...well whatever he was, he had no concept of personal space. What kind of lunatic just grabs strangers willy nilly?!  
"Wow, you are one red human," Oikawa says while Tobio growls.  
"Shut up and explain what the hell you mean by I'm not human!" Tobio exclaimed, getting in a fighting stance if needed. Oikawa tilted his head with a smirk. 

"Do you want me to shut up? Or-"  
"Speak! For the love of God just speak!" He yells, near tears at how confused he is. Oikawa must notice because he straightens up and no longer seems to want to tease Tobio.   
"Let's go sit down, yes?" He asks, and Tobio nods with a huff and follows him down the hall.

….

"So you’re saying that…I can't be human because when you attempted to throw me away from the door, all it did was slow me down instead of tossing me into the next street?" Tobio asks slowly.  
Oikawa nodded.

"Maybe you're just weak Oikawa-san. I'm human." He replies innocently.

"You brat!" Oikawa sneers, reaching for him, murder written on his face. Tobio ducks with a laugh.  
"Brat? What happened to Tobio-chan?"

"That's before I found out you weren't an innocent sweet child but an ignorant problem child.”  
"I am not a child! I'm 17!" he replies hauntingly. Oikawa smiles at him curiously.  
"Oh? I thought you were much younger. I'm 19. Well, I believe I am." He replies. Tobio's mouth dropped open.  
"What?"  
" I said im-"  
"I heard you stupid, I just don't think I get it!" He exclaimed, pulling at his hair.  
"Hey who are you calling stupid?!"

"You look so… " Tobio gestured wildly at the man before him.  
"Hot? Sexy? Gorgeous? Beautiful?" He tried. Tobio bites his lip, his eyes lidding.  
"No. You look old."  
Oikawa really does grab him that time, but it feels more like a caress than anything else. 

…..

He doesn't realize how late it is until his phone starts ringing from texts and calls from his mom.  
"Shit it's 8? I've gotta go." He mutters, scrambling out of his seat.

"Go where?" He asks curiously.  
"Home. It's way past dinner."  
Oikawa starts chuckling and Tobio just stares at him in confusion.  
"What’s funny?"

"Well, you can't leave Tobio-chan."  
"Hah?" Tobio says glaring at him. Oikawa shrugs but looks smug.  
"Why do you think I was trying so hard to keep you out? I love company, but anyone who steps foot in this house isn't able to leave. The house doesn't allow it." He explains, starting to look more sympathetic.

Tobio's eyes widen before he huffs with annoyance.  
"No way! I've gotta go. I can't stay here. My mom will kill me!" he exclaims with pleading eyes.  
"Hey! It's not up to me, it's up to the spirits or whatever. I’m possessed by the spirits who control the house. Why else do you think I haven't been able to leave in 10 years….or is it 20…?" He mutters looking thoughtful.  
Tobio balks. He can't be stuck in here forever! He just got here and he was already being held hostage by a ghost? Just wait until Hinata got a load of this.

Oh, wait.

He deflated knowing he might not ever see the bright boy again.  
"What? You got a special someone you left behind?" Oikawa asks, drifting about him, skin back to almost translucent in the bright living room light.  
"No! I'm worried about my mom,” he replied, crossing his arms. Oikawa pauses...before sighing.

"I really am sorry Tobio. Hmm..well you got in despite my power, so maybe you can get out despite my power? I'm as strong as the spirits that possess me." He says with a wink.  
Tobio swallows before turning to the door and slowly reaching for the doorknob. It makes his whole hand warm and tingle.  
"Is the doorknob hot?" Oikawa asks. Tobio nods. Almost abnormally hot. He balls his hand up in his shirt before placing it on the door again and yanking the door open.  
He sighs in relief before comfortably stepping out onto the porch.  
"Are you serious?" Oikawa asks, his face blank. Tobio grins.

“I was scared for a second. Why don't you try stepping out Oikawa-san?" He asks, holding a hand out.  
Oikawa suddenly looked frightened, shaking his head fiercely at Tobio, and backing away from the door.

"I-I can't. I can't leave." He says, one hand gripping his perfectly styled hair. Tobio's eyebrows furrow in concern, before stepping forward to try and reach him when Oikawa yelps and floats back.  
"No. I can't be sure that you'll be able to leave if you enter again!" He exclaims with wide eyes. Tobio feels sick. He doesn’t want to escape while Oikawa is left there to be terrorized by spirits or whatever is keeping him in there. But stressing Oikawa out right now wasn't helping, and his mom would probably have his head on a plate if he wasn't home soon. He stepped back once again and Oikawa relaxed.

"I...I'll be back Oikawa-san!" he declared before turning and rushing off to his street, dodging an old couple who was walking their dog.

…..

Oikawa watches as the boy, Tobio, runs away and feels his heartache. At least, he thinks that's his heart. He waves his hand and the front door shuts and he can't help but feel like Tobio entering this house may have been an awful idea, or maybe….an amazing one.  
"If you're looking for someone to save you, it ain't that kid." A voice says. Oikawa slams a hand against his head with a scowl as he drops down on his couch.

"Shut up! Don't talk about Tobio-chan." He mutters, smiling a bit as his cat appeared, crawling towards him in search of neck scratches it seems. He willingly gave them, Yuki was adorable.  
"Oh? Protective are we?" the spirits murmurs in his head and Oikawa shivers with the negative energy he feels from himself.

"I won't let you take him. He's a kid."  
"You're the one that let him come in. "  
"What? How is that my fault?"  
"You weren't using our full power. You know I wanted his body. He was strong. "  
Oikawa growls in anger, hands pausing in its scratching.

"I won't let you possess him," he whispers before shaking his head once more and sighing in relief as the voice dies down.  
His cat, Yuki, seems to notice his sour mood and climbs to sit on his chest, pawing at his face.  
As much as he liked Tobio, the boy couldn't come back. Not if he wanted to escape again.  
Besides…Oikawa hadn’t felt the feeling of being left behind in a while, but now it was sitting heavy on his soul. And it ached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for flaking on y'all. I forgot that I was already uploading two other stories that you should reallyyyy check out. Just saying tho! Have a wonderful day, and thank you for the kudos.


	4. learn to be lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi

Tobio hadn’t gotten in a lot of trouble when he arrived home. He was a big boy now, is what his mom had said. She still ruffled his hair and told him if he ever did that again she’d kill him though.  
It had been a week since he’s been to the not so vacant house inhabited by Oikawa Tooru, and his words still bounced around in Tobio’s mind.  
If Oikawa was 19, that means he’s been stuck inside the house for a while! He was only a year older than Tobio, so he assumed people who had grown up here would surely know that a kid went missing. He decided that he would ask his friends during lunch, and try to be as subtle as possible. He didn’t want any of them, specifically Hinata, to worry or worse tell someone else.

Tobio just couldn’t bear the thought of Oikawa being stuck inside the house for any longer. Besides, he proved to be strong enough to be able to enter and leave the house, so he had to be the only one able to save Oikawa-san. That made his heart drop to his feet in excitement and fear.  
He briefly wondered if Oikawa had been serious about him not being human, but he brushed it off quickly. He hadn’t thought this hard about something in a while, and it was making his head pound. He flicked off the light, turned over, and went to bed.

……

Oikawa sighed, trying on another outfit. The only perk of being possessed was the unlimited closet options he had. It’s been 10 years and he had never re-worn an outfit to this day. He pulled off the shirt after checking all his angles and deciding he did not want to wear it. He was about to take off the jeans when his Yuki curled around his leg, purring loudly.  
She only did that when she felt a strong presence near.  
Oikawa didn’t like to hope after being on his own since a child, but his heart couldn’t help but flutter at the thought that Tobio had come back.

For him.

He quickly buttoned the jeans back on and threw on a green sweater before picking Yuki up and rushing down the steps. It was a very sunny November afternoon, so whoever came wouldn’t even really be able to see him clearly.

He didn’t bother disguising his presence and instead, peeked out his window, his curiosity and hope overflowing.  
“Well, I didn’t con you as one to disappoint,” he murmured with a smile as he watched Tobio walk up the street his hands buried deep in his pockets and a cute yellow beanie was pulled over his hair.  
Oikawa didn’t even attempt to stop him from coming in but then again, no one ever accused him of not having a mischievous spirit. He lifted one finger and giggled softly when the wind suddenly picked up, causing Tobio to wobble a bit on the steps. His head snapped up and he glared sharply, muttering to himself. 

Oikawa was sure he caught the words ‘creepy ghost asshole’ but he wasn’t sure. 

He stepped away from the window as the door opened, turning to give him a greeting when Tobio paused.  
“Cat,” he said with wide sparkling eyes and Oikawa momentarily felt star-struck.  
“Yes? Wait...you can see her?” he asked in shock. Humans weren’t supposed to be able to see Yuki, she was more of a spirit guide. Just who was Tobio-chan?

“Of course I can see her, you’re petting her. Can I pet her? What’s her name?” he asked, moving into Oikwa’s space with mute excitement.  
Ah..so Tobio was a cat lover. It just kept getting better and better.  
“Yes. That is if she lets you. Her name is Yuki.” he answered, carefully placing her in Tobio’s arms. He cradled her almost like a baby, as Tobio stared down at her with wide eyes, softly petting her.  
“Hi Yuki,” he murmured, and Yuki lets out a loud and long purr before snuggling against his chest.

Okay now, that’s adorable. Oikawa clears his throat and gains himself before he does something stupid.

“Did you come here for something Tobio-chan?” he asks, shutting the door as he ushers Tobio to the living room.  
“Yes. I came for you. I have questions to ask.” he stated, primarily sitting himself down on the couch. Oikawa decided to stay standing.  
“Well get on with it.”

Tobio rolls his eyes before letting out a small sigh.

“I don’t want to be...insensitive, but how exactly did you get stuck here?” he asked, tone softer than Oikawa had ever heard since he’s met him. Oikawa didn’t think he could ever forget that awful day.  
“Awful day? That hurts Tooru.” 

“You shut up!” he snaps, slapping his head again. His eyes widen in embarrassment as Tobio raises an eyebrow at him, his lips curled.  
“Not you, uh. The spirit that possessed me keeps talking to me,” he explains hoping that does not send the boy running to the hills.  
“That isn’t the weirdest thing about you Oikawa-san.” he snorts before going back to Yuki.

“Is that a compliment?” he asks, rocking on his heels as he watches the boy make faces at his cat.  
Tobio looks up contemplatively before shrugging with a small grin.  
“So, are you going to tell me how you got stuck here?” he asked. Oikawa sighs, trying not to berate himself for being such an idiot. If he had known things would be like this…

“I grew up in this town, and it’s always been pretty boring. It was almost criminal how low everyone’s spirits constantly were.” he groaned, moving to sit on the couch in front of Tobio.

He snorted, nodding his head in what seemed to be agreement. 

“Anyways, around middle school, an old couple that openly practiced magic moved into this house. Of course, we were kids and excited that someone strange had come to this town so everyone did all they could to sneak a peek in the house. The couple was fairly nice and often offered to have us over for lunch but we all declined, on the grounds that they were in a “magic cult’” he said curling his fingers in exasperation. He glanced up to see Tobio was still watching him curiously, his eyes flashing. Oikawa wondered what exactly he was thinking about. 

“Did you ever stay for lunch?” he asked, moving a bit closer. Oikawa shook his head.  
“My parents had been very strict about never entering their house. But one day, they just up and left. It was alarming how fast they had packed their stuff, and I couldn’t help but feel curious.” he said with a shrug.  
“So you snuck in and got possessed?”  
“Tobio! Let me finish jeez. No one likes a know it all.” he scolds playfully and Tobio just gives him an impassive stare that screams, ‘get on with it’.

“Anyways, yes I did sneak in, and after looking around and seeing nothing of the norm, I tried to leave. Obviously, I realized they must've left for a serious reason but it was too late. I couldn’t leave the house and then promptly got possessed by this spirit. Can you believe that? I don’t even know the spirit’s name, but it’s inside me.” he sighs leaning back in his chair, his head tilted back.

“What does the spirit want with you?”

“Not sure. I’ve tried asking, and I searched for anything vaguely occultist in this house but I haven’t found a single thing. Ten years of searching and I haven’t found a damn thing.” he said bitterly, scrubbing his eyes tiredly. He thinks this may have been the longest conversation he’s had with someone that was not Yuki. 

“You’ve been here for 10 years?”

“Unfortunately. I wasn’t too bored if that's what you’re worried about. Plus I don’t get hungry, so it hasn’t been awful.” he jokes, eyeing the mold growing on the ceiling. If he could eat, he’d probably throw up whatever he had at the sight of that. It’s silent for a while and he opens his eyes when he feels a shadow over him.  
He looks up into Tobio’s dark eyes and feels startlingly small. He knew he was several inches taller than Tobio, but right now he felt Yuki’s size under his intent stare.

“Do you ever get lonely though?” he asks quietly, his voice so full of understanding that Oikawa has to blink hard and lean away a bit. What exactly did this kid know about loneliness?

He opens his mouth to respond, although he isn’t sure what to say. Tobio makes a move first, and carefully grabs his face, the same way Oikawa had done to him when they had first met. His expression was earnest as he firmly held his face, a determined expression on his face.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” he says, leaving no room for discussion. Oikawa blinks up at him, before lifting his hands to lightly curl around Tobio’s wrist. 

“How?” 

Tobio’s eyebrows furrow and he leans even closer. 

“Well before I try anything, let me attempt this first.”  
Oikawa nodded slowly, wondering if he had spells or something. Tobio leans away, his hands falling from Oikawa’s face and Oikawa immediately misses the warmth that he’s never used to feeling.  
Tobo steels himself before pointing directly at Oikawa.

“Spirit, I command you to get out of Oikawa-san. Now!”  
Oikawa blinked in complete shock as a completely serious Tobio stared back at him.

“Did they leave?” Tobio asks relaxing his pose.  
“He may have a strong body but he’s the most un-threatening creature I’ve ever seen.” the spirit said laughing.

Oikawa gave him a helpless smile.  
“Sorry, Tobio-chan. He’s even laughing at you.”  
Tobio pouts at this, plopping back down on the couch and Yuki hops back into his lap.  
“Don’t worry! That’s not my best. I’ll find another way.” he assures, petting Yuki. Oikawa smiles at him because honestly how could he not?

He was trying so hard, risking so much for someone he barely knew. Oikawa wasn’t even a human, yet this person was so eager to help him after a single encounter.  
He glances outside the window and notices how dark it is. He glances down and sees his body is more visible.

“Hey, Tobio? It’s pretty dark out.”  
Tobio sighs, gently taking Yuki off his lap and lacing her on the couch. Yuki is not pleased by this.  
He bends down and kisses her on the head. This is not fair, Oikawa wasn’t receiving kisses on the head during their first meeting.

“Sorry Yuki, I’ve got to go.” He says with a sigh, petting her once more before standing up straight and offering Oikawa a slight smile.  
“Goodnight Oikawa-san. I’ll be back soon,” he says, raising his hand in an awkward wave.

“Goodnight Tobio-chan. Be careful,” he calls as the boy jogs down the road.  
Oikawa bites his lip, watching his figure disappear from his line of sight before closing the door.

……

Tobio hadn’t gotten much sleep since then. On top of the sudden onslaught of work he was receiving from school, now that he had friends he was expected to go out with them? His mind was boggled. He surprisingly loved being around them, although he would never say it aloud because Hinata and Yamaguchi would never let it go.  
But besides that, he spent most of his time looking for a way to help Oikawa. Most of his sleepless nights were dedicated to finding ways to help him out. He was eager to explain to Oikawa all the ways he could help him.

He didn’t want the eccentric man to stay holed up in that awful house for any longer. He deserves freedom. The man was almost 20 for God’s sake!

He wonders if he’d be able to go to college without completing his adolescent education. Tobio is somehow sure the man would be able to pull some strings but in the meantime, he threw himself into research and also not raising suspicion with his mom. So far, so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate that my writing progressively gets better while the story moves along because i bet hella people don’t even want to read it because of how shitty the first chapter is. This is why my one shots get more love😅 but enough with that, i rlly hope you enjoyed it! have a wonderful day/night.


	5. lost and found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally picking up i guess

“So...you’re telling me that you want to pour salt on me and everything in this house?” Oikawa asks him with an incredulous look.  
“No, just things that are significant to you or the previous owners,” he answers, rolling his eyes at Oikawa’s responding snort.  
“He’s laughing at you.”  
“Has it ever occurred to you that it could be nervous laughter?” Tobio asks. 

Oikawa curls his lips in what looks like he’s holding in his laughter. Tobio throws his hands up with a loud growl and turns to stomp out. If Oikawa and that dumbass ghost won’t take him seriously, he’ll just leave.

“Tobio, wait!” Oikawa exclaims, his feather-light hand wrapping around his wrist.  
“If you aren’t taking me seriously, I’ll just go get my homework done.” he pouts, feeling the tension melt out of him when Oikawa smiles at him. He hated that Oikawa could do that. He feels like putty in the half man’s hands and he does not like it.  
“I’m sorry Tobio-chan. We’ll try any solutions you came up with,” he says quietly, gripping his hands a bit tighter. Tobio sighs before pulling away to pull out his phone and showing him the list of everything he thought of.

“Woah. You did a lot of research Tobio. Thank you.” he says glancing up at him. Tobio nods, feeling his face warm.  
“We probably won’t get them all done today, but it doesn’t hurt to try right?”  
Oikawa nods and hands him back his phone.  
“Alright bring out the salt.”

……

After pouring so much salt on every object and living creature in the house, Tobio’s nose was getting a bit runny.  
“Ah, here.” Oikawa offered, reaching to pull out a handkerchief...that was also covered in salt.  
“I think I’m good,” Tobio says with a grimace before sniffing hard. They waited for a couple of seconds while Oikawa squirmed under his gaze.

“What? Do you feel any different?” he asks moving closer, his hand lifting. For what, he is not sure so he lets it fall back to his side as he stares at a squirming Oikawa.  
“Uh, nothing’s changed but a lot of the salt got into my uh...either region, and I-”  
Tobio held out his hands, stepping back. He could already feel his face start to warm.  
“Go change!” he exclaims, and Oikawa nods, quickly turning to run up his steps.

…..

They had tried setting him on fire, that had not worked. Tobio even tried chanting some incantations he found on the internet but all they did was make the house shake a bit. Some progress, but not enough.  
“It’s late Tobio-chan. Don’t wanna make your mother mad,” he says looking up from where he’s playing with Yuki.

Tobio waves him off from his place upside down the couch scrolling through his phone. Blood is rushing to his head but he doesn’t mind so he stays as he is.  
“Told my mom I’m sleeping over at Hinata’s house.” he sighs.  
“Ah, that explains the huge bookbag you’ve brought. Who’s Hinata?” Oikawa asks, resuming in his petting. He tries not to preen at how Oikawa seemingly doesn’t mind if he stays the night.

Tobio is silent before his phone dings with an excited text from Hinata saying he’s on his way.  
He grins, swinging out of the seat.  
“You’re about to meet him!” he explains making his way to the front door. He knows Oikawa is following him because his warm presence is always felt somewhere on his neck. He’s not sure what that’s supposed to mean but he likes it.  
Kinda.  
It’s an easy Oikawa tracker that doesn’t allow him to sneak up on Tobio and scare the shit out of him. 

“Huh?” Oikawa murmurs.  
Tobio peeks out the window and sees Hinata nervously climbing up the porch steps.

Oikawa peeks out the window as well from behind him, and even though he’s basically a half-human, there’s nothing half about the way he’s pressed against Tobio, trying to get a peek.  
“Yes, just invite the whole neighborhood to my house.” he sneers, rolling his eyes.  
Tobio turns to him slightly, speaking against his neck.  
“Sorry, Hinata was curious and I couldn’t shake him off. He’s like a dog.”

That causes Oikawa to snort as Hinata stumbles a bit before raising a hand to knock, but Tobio yanks the door open first.  
Hinata looks shocked but quickly goes back to his normal sunny exterior, smile blinding.  
“Kageyama!” he exclaims a bit too loud, launching at him.  
Tobio only catches him because of how used he is to it at this point but also doesn’t mind as much.  
“Hey Hinata.” he sighs, closing the door behind him and waddling with Hinata still hanging off him.

“How did you get in here anyway? This house has been vacant for like, ever,” he says hopping off him and turning to assess the room.

“Hey! I’m the owner, don’t I get a hello?” Oikawa whined. Tobio snorted, patting his shoulder.  
“He can’t see you Oikawa-san, you forgot to make yourself visible,” he says. For some reason, Tobio was able to see him even when he wasn’t seen by the normal eye now. 

By Hinata’s wide eye stare, it settles on him that this situation is a bit weird.  
“Who are you talking to Kageyama?” Hinata asks slowly inching backward. Tobio frowns.  
“Shut up dumbass and just wait.”  
He glanced at Oikawa’s thoughtful expression before apparently deeming Hinata worthy of his presence and making himself visible.  
“Hello Hinata,” he says with a sweet smile and Tobio watches Hinata's eyes somehow get wider before his hands rub down his face in what seems to complete shock.

“Oh my God.” is what he says before passing out.

Luckily he lands on the couch he backed up into and Oikawa turns to him with a pointed stare.  
“Great going Kageyama.” he mocks with a high voice. Tobio just shakes his head, knowing this was the best way this could’ve gone including Hinata.  
“Whatever, let’s just wake him up.”

…….

“So...you’re like a clairvoyant?” Hinata asks slowly, one eye still closed. He’s sitting up at least so he must be fine.  
Tobio thinks that phrase sounds familiar but he’s not so sure it applies to him so he just shrugs.  
“I have no idea what that is but if it means I can see and talk to a ghost while feeling their auras then yes.” 

He sees the look Oikawa gives him from the corner of his eye and wonders what it means. Probably something that has to do with his strong body or whatever the ghost that possessed Oikawa had said.  
“Oh well...that’s pretty cool. But how exactly do you plan to solve Oikawa-san’s problem if you’re only on the internet?”

“Where else would I look for it dumbass?”

“The library you idiot. Obviously.” he sighs rolling his eyes and Tobio feels like someone who passed out like a total wimp has no right to sass him.

“You have a library in here Oikawa-san?” Tobio asks, turning to the man ghost that had been a bit quiet ever since Hinata arrived. He seems to be in deep thought, which wasn’t unusual but he usually would speak those thoughts out. Perhaps he didn’t trust Hinata or it was something really bothering him.

Tobio desperately wanted to know.

“Yes, but nothing with magic. I’ve read every book in there and none of them are magic related,” he answers looking apologetic as if it wasn’t about his life.  
Tobio chews on his lip before shaking his head.  
“Let’s check once more. If we find nothing here then we’ll visit the public library down the street,” he says.

They all nod before quickly getting up and allowing Oikawa to lead them to the library. Once they get into the room, Tobio notices Oikawa staggering behind a bit. His eyes are no longer that deep brown that Tobio has come to adore, uh well because of the color of course. Not because he could get lost in them. Definitely not because they were a gorgeous pair with his hair.

Anyways, they’ve become a bright gold, constantly flickering between dark brown and bright gold. It makes Tobio shiver and he feels an awfully dark aura cover the room. Hinata is too busy rambling to notice how tense it’s gotten and Tobio can’t help but worry that the demon is finally attempting to fully take over Oikawa’s body. That must mean they’re close to finding it...right?

Shit, shit, shit.  
“I’ll be back here. You guys can look around,” he murmurs, leaning against the bookcase.

Tobio attempts to act normal and nods, inwardly promising that he’d do anything to help Oikawa.  
He grabs Hinata’s arm and drags him so they can start near the back.  
They search in silence and Tobio can feel the moment Hinata is about to yell that he’s found something and instantly leaps on him, covering his mouth.

“What the-“  
“Shhh. What did you find? And whisper, Oikawa-san is in trouble and if you scream that you’ve found it, it’s over for us.” he says lowly praying that Hinata actually speaks in a low voice. 

Hinata’s eyes darken and he nods firmly and Tobio slowly backs off him nodding.  
He moves to the side and reaches his hand out to show a lever and carefully pushes on it, and Tobio watches in complete astonishment as the bookshelf swings open to reveal a tunnel.  
“Holy shit,” he murmured.

They barely have a second to hide it when Tobio feels Oikawa’s deathly aura on his neck. He almost lets out a whimper of fear at the loss of the usual warm feeling he gets when Oikawa is around.  
“What did you find?” Oikawa...no his ghost says in a deeply distorted voice. Tobio thinks for half a second before shoving Hinata into the tunnel below.

“Run.” Oikawa weekly says, fighting through for a second.  
Tobio jumps in after a screaming Hinata and firmly locks the lever in place so Oikawa cannot follow.  
He’s going to save Oikawa no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if i’m being honest i didn’t expect this story to actually have substantial plot so the chapters from here on are pulled outta my ass. like i said, mediocre 😁 but enjoy i hope!


	6. stay woke

Tobio groans as he lands somewhere on his side. Hinata has finally stopped screaming after realizing that he wasn’t dropping to his death, just sliding down a dusty corridor.  
“Fuck.” he says, effectively summing up everything that just happened.

“Fuck indeed.” Tobio nods, standing up and pulling Hinata up with him.

“So what now? I don’t think we have much time left.” Hinata says. 

Tobio pats his pockets for his phone and huffs a sigh of relief when he finds it, quickly turning on his flashlight.  
“Right now, we’ve gotta keep moving and hope we find something,” he says, carefully walking down the slightly narrow path. The floor is a smooth surface and Tobio is in his socks while Hinata luckily still had sneakers on.

He held onto Hinata’s hand strictly because he didn’t want to fall, not because he was terrified.   
But by the look Hinata gives him, Tobio thinks he’s grateful for the touch as well.

It’s silent as they walk for what seems like hours but it’s only 10 minutes at least. He wishes there was some type of map when he feels a sudden shift in the path they’re walking and almost slides straight on his ass, but Hinata stops him from falling.

“What the hell is this?” Hinata asks as Tobio shines his phone flashlight on the path and sees that it’s starting to go uphill.  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” he groans. This...labyrinth was designed to piss him off it seemed. And they didn’t have any time to waste.

“Calm down Kags, I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Hinata says even though he looks ready to pass again.  
“Alright….okay this is fine! This is great even.” he lies, nodding to hype himself up. He’s sure if he tries to climb up it really fast he’ll make it.   
He has no choice.

“Wow, you’re totally in love with Oikawa-san huh?” Hinata teases once he sees his determined face. Tobio doesn't even give him a response because any answer he gives would be a complete lie.  
“Oh...it’s that bad.”  
“Oh shut up.”

He ignores Hinata’s cackles and smiles a bit before he suddenly has an idea.  
“Hinata?”  
“Yeah?”

“I need you to run all the way to the top okay? Pull out your phone so you can see. When you reach the top, throw your sneakers down for me so I can run up as well. Don’t move until you see me.” he says slowly, making sure Hinata hears every word he says.

“Okay, got you,” he says nodding with an equally determined face set.

Tobio can’t help but whisper in his head, hoping Oikawa somehow hears him when he says “I’m coming back for you.”

……

Oikawa is terrified. He can feel himself shaking, as he struggles not to let the spirit take full control of his body. He can’t, no he won’t let the spirit lay a hand on Tobio or Hinata.

“You barely even know the shrimpy brat. I’m sure if I keep him here, you and Tobio-chan can runoff.” The spirit suggests mockingly.  
Oikawa grits his teeth. He can tell that if anything happened to the small redhead, Tobio would be beyond devastated and he especially didn’t want Tobio to be sad if he could stop it.

“Leave them alone,” he replies simply, sighing heavily as it seems the spirit has stopped fighting him.

“You know, I could take over you right now and-“  
The spirit cuts off suddenly, starting to laugh.

“The boy said he’s coming back for you. That’s adorable.” he sighs, laughs bouncing around in Oikawa’s head. It hurts so much that he almost misses what the spirit says.  
“What?” he asks sharply, eyes suddenly wide and attentive.

“The boy. It seems he didn’t mean to, but he may have telepathically communicated with you. He said he’s...well. It doesn’t matter. He can’t save you.” is what the Spirit says with another chuckle.  
“Tell me what he said!” Oikawa explains but in the next second he hears it for himself and almost sobs.  
“I’m coming back for you.”

Tobio was coming back.

…….

It unsurprisingly takes them many tries to climb the god-forsaken path, but they eventually did it.  
Tobio had only fallen to his death like twice, but they were at the top and that’s all that matters. They both pause to catch their breath, before standing up and looking around.  
There are suddenly light bulbs surrounding them and they carefully turn them on, sighing in relief when they switch on.

“Alright, now what?” Hinata asks, tucking his phone into his hoodie pocket. 

Tobio nervously chews on his lip, wondering as well what was next.  
“I guess we’ll have to keep walking and hope we find something…” he trails off as they pause in front of a…

“You have to be kidding me…” Hinata says with wide eyes and a dark frown. Tobio can’t help the groan of annoyance that seeps out of him.

“Of fucking course there are two different pathways.”  
“No way are we separating! You see what happens in those movies Kageyama!” Hinata exclaims. Tobio waves his hand at him dismissively. 

Separating hadn’t even crossed his mind. There was no way they could do this without each other. They would just have to pick one together.  
“Which one looks more promising?” he asks quietly, eyes darting to both paths.

“Uh, if you’re magical or whatever shouldn’t you have some intuition? Cast a spell!” Hinata exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Uh...I’ve never cast a spell before…” he trails off at the blazing look Hinata gives him.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt to try!” he rushes, pulling away from Hinata and shutting his eyes tight.

He wonders what he’s supposed to be doing before he just sighs, thinking fuck it. They would explore both paths either way, and they weren’t necessarily strapped with time.  
‘Please show me the right path’ he wills in his mind, squeezing his hands into fists.

He feels a little stupid, not knowing what he’s waiting for but then he hears Hinata gasp.  
His eyes snap open to see the right path lit up with light, almost on the side of blinding.

“If that isn’t a sign I don’t know what is.”

“Come on. Let’s hope we find answers in there.” Tobio sighs, as they grip each other tightly and travel down the bright path, praying this isn’t a mistake.

It gets a bit warmer as they keep walking and Tobio has to blink rapidly to stop black spots from dancing in his vision.

The room slowly goes back to normal lighting as they arrive at a door labeled family library.

“Jackpot,” Hinata murmurs, already stepping up to open the door. Tobio yanks him back.  
“What?” Hinata asks, whipping to face him. 

“Doors in this house are usually unnecessarily hot, so I didn’t want you to burn off your hand.” he sighs, stuffing his hand in his shirt once more, and almost laughs at the Deja Vu.  
He carefully twists the door open, the heat still a bit too much through his thick shirt and pulling it open.

The room smells exactly like a library, and they tumble in excitedly, knowing that they were close.

….

“You could follow them. You could easily unjam that lever.” the spirit boomed in his head.  
Oikawa grit his teeth so he didn’t let out a moan of pain.

It would be so...so much easier to just give in to the spirit but he just...he couldn’t.

He’s spent so many years only caring and looking out for himself, it felt foreign to be looking out for one kid who stumbled into his house, much less the second one that stumbled in with him.

The look of determination that was on Tobio’s face was almost blazing, and his voice was filled with so much conviction he knew he had to hold out until he could come back for him. 

His shirt was basically soaked with how sweaty he was, and he was positive his usually flawless even skin was a burning red. He almost didn’t want to ever look in a mirror again.

“Shut up,” he mutters weakly, letting his head bang back against the wall.  
“You should save yourself while you still can.”  
“Tobio….Tobio’s gonna save me…”

He can almost imagine Hinata screaming in outrage and asking, “What about me?!” and a small laugh leaves his mouth.

…….

“Think I’ve found something,” Tobio mutters pausing at a page in one of the dusty family books. He wonders if the family that left ever saw something like this coming. It’s probably why they moved away so fast.  
Hinata makes a noise of confirmation and doesn’t get up so Tobio assumes he’s found something as well.

Tobio blew some of the dust off the book so he could see the words clearly.  
‘If you end up in our family library, I assume something awful has happened. If that’s the case, pick up the phone and dial this number.

-Lisa Hemming’

Yeah, no kidding. Something awful has been stirring for ten years he thinks before pulling out his phone and dialing the number on the page.

He lets out a groan when he realizes there’s no service in the room.  
“What’s wrong?” 

“It says here to call a number, but there’s no service.”  
“Did you try the phone next to you?” Hinata asks, glancing up from his book.

Tobio’s eyes slowly darted to the side to see a phone that was definitely not there before.  
“That wasn’t there...before.”

“Sure Kageyama,” Hinata says walking over to him, book in hand.

Tobio rolls his eyes at the boy who is suddenly acting like he’s some magic professor at Hogwarts before carefully dialing the number into the phone and locking eyes with Hinata as it rang.  
“Hello?” a woman says with a clear British accent. Tobio’s English isn’t the best so he glances at Hinata for help but he looks just as lost as he is.

“Hello?” he says, worrying about how they could communicate if the lady was speaking English and he was speaking Japanese.  
It was quiet for a moment before the lady made a sound.

“Ah, hello! You must be in our family library in Miyagi,” she says excitedly, now speaking in accented Japanese. Tobio can’t help the sound of shock he makes and almost doesn’t know how to respond.

“Yes! We are!” Hinata exclaims with a grin.  
“Oh, there’s two of you? Wonderful! I’m Lisa Hemming, I assume you’ve read the book?”

“Yes, I’m Tobio Kageyama.”

“I’m Hinata Shouyou!”  
“Nice to meet you both! Now, what seems to be the problem?”

And so Tobio explains all that happened in the last two months and prays that he didn’t leave anything important out. 

“Oikawa Tooru? I remember him well! What a wonderful kid.” she says, a smile audible in her voice.  
“Yeah, wonderful.” Tobio sighs lovingly and Hinata gags behind him.

“Oh, dear. You kids must be worn out,” she says sympathetically.  
“No, it’s-”  
“Yea! I’m starving too!” Hinata says desperately gripping onto the phone. Tobio swats him away while Lisa laughs. 

“Don’t worry Hinata. I’ll be there before you can even think of food.”

Tobio and Hinata glance at each other, wondering if maybe Lisa had gone dumb from shock because how could she possibly come from England to Miyagi in-  
“Ah, I haven’t done that in a while.” a voice says and they whip to see a tall beautiful woman standing behind them.

“Lisa?!” Hinata exclaims as they watch the lady dust herself off.

“I forgot she was a witch,” Tobio mutters as she smiles at them.  
“That I am. And you may be Tobio, but we have a bigger issue right now,” she says softly waving them closer. Tobio decides to ignore that as well because he doesn’t think he has any more brain capacity to try and figure her out.

“So what should we do?” he asks instead. 

“Well, instead of dealing with the spirit as we should’ve, we ran. I won’t be making that mistake this time but we may need to make a potion. I’m sure it’s grown stronger since it’s been resting in Oikawa’s body.”

Hinata and Tobio both nod, trusting she knew way better than them.

“Okay. How can we help?” 

Lisa looks thoughtful as she goes through books, and reaching into cupboards pulling out materials Tobio assumes she’s using for the potion.  
“Assuming that the spirit hasn’t already taken over his body, I’ll need one of you to go find him.”

“I’ll go.” Tobio immediately offers. Hinata snorted and Tobio shoved him away, sticking his tongue out.

“Yeah, I won’t fight you on it,” he says, causing Lisa to laugh.  
“Okay, Tobio. If he’s still human, do your best to keep him distracted alright?”

Tobio frowns, heart, starting to thump.  
“And if he’s not human?”

“If he isn’t human then...you’ll have to shout my name and I’ll bring you back here. Don’t touch him. At all. I can put a protection spell on you so that the spirit doesn't try to use you, but if you touch him yourself, the spirit may enter you. Do you understand?” she asks, pausing, in her mixing.  
“Yes.”

“Don’t forget to not touch him Kageyama,” Hinata says with a pointed look. Tobio rolls his eyes.  
“Yeah, I think I got that dumbass.”  
“You’re the dumbass, dumbass.”

“Real smart!”  
Before Hinata can open his mouth to reply, Tobio feels a shift, and his vision blacks out.  
“What the fu-“

He blinks hard, feeling a bit nauseous as he steadies himself and looks up to see he’s back in the house’s non-magical library.

“To...bio…” a weak voice grates out and his head snaps up to see Oikawa crouched on the ground, skin red and aura a sickening black. Just being around him makes Tobio want to throw up, but he drops to the floor with him, remembering to keep his distance.

“Oikawa...Tooru…” he says softly, flinching a bit when he looks up, shivering and eyes a blinding gold.

“You came back?” he asks, running a hand down his face.  
Tobio nods eagerly, sitting back on his knees. He feels the need to wrap himself up in Oikawa’s arms and hold him tight.

He can’t unless he wants to end up a crazed demon so he settles for just watching him carefully.  
“What do you need me to do? To distract you? You’re still...human right?” he asks frantically. Oikawa lets out a deep breath before giving him a small smile and nodding.

“Yeah. Tell me about...your...day at school,” he murmurs out softly.

“I can do that. Yeah. So I woke up, and it was freezing cold. I thought my fingers were going to fall off. I get cold fast, so I even bundled up and turned up the heat, and I was still cold.”  
“Next...time.After you save me. You’ll have to...I’ll keep you warm.” Oikawa says with a small smirk, moving to lift his hand but giving up halfway.  
Tobio lets out a dry sob.  
“Fuck. Fuck, you can’t...Tooru you can’t say that.” he says sniffling before continuing with how his day went.

He prays to everything and anyone he can think of and hopes with all his might that Hinata and Lisa get up here soon. 

He pauses when Oikawa’s eyes slip close.

“Oikawa? Oikawa??? Tooru!” he shouts, resisting the urge to shake him back up.

He snaps his mouth shut and slowly stands up when he feels the sinking aura surrounding the man get stronger, almost knocking him right back to the floor.

“Oh? A protection spell? Tobio-chan you’ve gotten strong.” a distorted voice rings out in the library. Tobio feels his heart racing, and his breath getting more ragged but Oikawa is still breathing so he can’t give up.  
“Don’t call me that,” he says, not sure where the spirit is but it must still be in Oikawa from the aura that’s around him.

“Don’t worry. I won’t harm your boyfriend, well...I won’t kill him at least.” it says with a chuckle and Tobio thinks if the spirit was solid, he’d punch the shit out of it.  
Should he call Lisa now? The potion should be done, he’s been talking to Oikawa for almost 30 minutes.

“Anyways, you could make it easy on him. You could be my host instead.”  
“I’d rather die.”  
“That could be arranged.” the spirit says just as Oikawa’s eyes snap back  
open, his lips pulled into a snarl.

“Lisa!” Tobio yells, causing Oikawa’s lunge to stop mid-air.

“Lisa?” he growls just as she and Hinata materialize next to him.  
Hinata immediately grabs him backward, hiding him behind Lisa.

“Long time no see,” Lisa says with a grin, playfully saluting him, AS IF THIS WASN’T A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION.

“What are you doing here?!” Oikawa, no the spirit growls.

If Tobio is still sane, he thinks the aura is turning a bit blue around the edges. Is the spirit scared?  
“You alright?” Hinata whispers to him. He nods firmly, reaching down to ruffle his hair, and ignores his squawks.

“I’m here to do what I should’ve done 10 years ago. Vanquish you,” she says confidently. Tobio sees no potion in sight and hopes she has another trick up her sleeve.  
“Good luck doing that without killing this kid. I’ve spirit bonded with him. He can’t live without me.” he says cruelly.

Tobio gasps, hand flying to grip Hinata’s shoulder. They stare at each other with wide eyes, Tobio’s own a bit wetter.

“Tobio, Hinata. Lisa. Run.” Oikawa gasps out, eyes flashing to that lovely brown once more before complexly going gold.

“You strong boy.” Lisa sighs, moving towards Oikawa at the same time he lunges at her.  
“Tooru!” he shouts moving forward to stop them, but Hinata grips him tighter not letting him move.  
“Get off me, I have to...He’s-”  
“Kageyama! Just watch!” Hinata says.

Tobio snaps his head up, to watch as Oikawa bares his suddenly really sharp teeth at Lisa, but all she does is smile and shove a capsule into his mouth.  
She places two fingers on his forehead and he crumples to the ground.

“What the fuck.” Tobio says, almost dropping to the floor as the house shakes a bit.

“I know right,” Hinata says with squinted eyes. 

“Well, that was easier than I expected. I thought he would at least put up a fight.” Lisa sighs, leaning down to pat Oikawa twice and he floats into the air. They follow her in a daze as she leads them upstairs into Oikawa’s room.  
“So it was that easy?”

“Yup.”  
“So why didn’t you do that the first time?”  
“I was awfully lazy in my younger days. Thought I’d leave it for someone else,” she explains, softly placing Oikawa on the bed.  
His skin is slowly going back to its pretty pale color, and his face no longer looks so wild.

Tobio thinks if he lays down beside him he won’t get up for the next three days.  
It reminds him to look at his phone.

It’s 3 am and now that all the adrenaline has worn off he could eat for two families and sleep for a decade. Hinata’s rumbling stomach agrees with him.  
Lisa grins, clapping her hands together.

“Oh yes! You must be hungry. I’ll make something for you both.” she says happily bearding them towards the kitchen.  
For such a strong witch Lisa sure was weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this may be my favorite chapter. Idk maybe. Anyways, only one more chapter to go omg tell me what you think. Have a great day!

**Author's Note:**

> i know i’m late to the oikage party but pls accept this mediocre work!


End file.
